[JURIST] Idaho Governor CL "Butch" Otter [official website] signed Senate Bill 1389 [text, PDF; materials] on Friday, making it legal throughout the state for Idaho residents over 21 years of age to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Previously, it was legal for anyone over 18 to carry a concealed firearm without a permit only when outside city limits [KTVB report]. Some lawmakers in the state believed [KBOI report] that the concealed-carry laws should be consistent throughout the entire state. However, critics of the law are worried about the elimination of required training that comes with obtaining a permit. In a statement [text, PDF] released Thursday, Otter echoed those concerns, stating that he believes education and training is a part of the Second Amendment "well-regulated" standard, and that a training provision in the bill could have alleviated some of these concerns. He went on to say:

In the absence of such a provision, I encourage anyone considering concealed carry to take advantage of gun safety training opportunities available from many reputable sources throughout Idaho. I also encourage the Legislature to monitor the exercise of this new law and respond appropriately when and if the lack of statutory education and training requirement undermines public safety.

It will still be illegal in the state to carry firearms into certain locations including jails, courthouses, and schools. The law will become effective July 1.

Gun control [JURIST backgrounder] and the Second Amendment continue to be controversial national topics, and gun awareness has risen in the wake of recent shootings across the nation. Earlier this week Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe [official website] vetoed [JURIST report] two proposed bills that would eliminate restrictions on the possession of firearms in or around state office buildings. In December the US Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia Circuit vacated [JURIST report] a lower court ruling that found that a DC gun law requiring a concealed carry permit outside of the home may violate the Constitution. In October Maine's revised concealed carry law went into effect [JURIST report], allowing legal gun owners to carry concealed weapons without a permit. Earlier that month a federal appeals court upheld [JURIST report] Connecticut and New York gun control legislation that ban semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines.

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